Pastoral ministry can be exhausting. As church shepherds, God calls us to “shepherd the flock of God that is among” us (1 Peter 5:2), but people’s needs never diminish. We can’t check off “meet spiritual needs of the church” from our to-do list! Instead, the church’s needs pull us in many directions simultaneously, and the ongoing pressure can leave us feeling depleted, running on fumes. How can we feed our souls? How can we keep our hearts full of fresh, life-giving water for the good of God’s flock? For me, the discipline of journaling has been vital.
By journaling, I don’t mean spending an hour a day recording all my thoughts about what God is teaching me. I mean jotting down simple observations from Scripture and how the Spirit may direct me to apply them.
Donald Whitney explains: “By slowing us down and prompting us to think more deeply about God, journaling helps us feel more deeply (and biblically) about God.” [1] This generates an expectation to hear the Spirit speak to me through the Word, meet my needs, and help engage my emotions. It encourages me to approach the Bible as more than an owner’s manual for life that I should master to help fix other people’s problems. Instead, it is a tool to aid intentional, attentive, and reflective Bible reading and meditation to nourish my soul. Here are four ways to approach the Bible and a few questions to stimulate your heart’s interaction with the Word of God and the God of the Word.
Scripture is the soul-satisfying food we should delight in (Psalm 119:16, 77). As we treasure the Word of God, we gradually realize that our souls cannot thrive without it, and our resolve to stand firm in the face of temptation strengthens. When Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread selfishly to remedy His hunger, Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'” (Matthew 4:4).
Ask yourself: Am I feeding on God’s Word regularly, or would I be unhealthy or starving if my soul was my body? How would I describe my spiritual appetite? As you read, ask: How does this Scripture satisfy my deepest needs?
Through creation, God revealed His power and majesty for all to see (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:20). But it is only through the message of Scripture that we come to experience the transforming power of God’s redemptive grace in relationship with Him through Christ (Psalm 19:7-12; John 15:4-5). For our relationship with God to prosper, we need to grow in knowing Him better—His majesty, holiness, power, glory, mercy, love, and sovereignty (among others). Knowing God and how intimately acquainted He is with us stabilizes our souls. As the Holy Spirit uses Scripture to draw us closer to God, we become more accurate reflectors of His mercy and grace.
Scripture is alive. Therefore, the goal of our Bible reading should be to interact with God toward growth in our faith and godliness (Hebrews 4:12). As believers, we have the privilege of having the Author of Scripture, the Holy Spirit, living within us—helping us interpret and apply God’s truth (2 Corinthians 3:18). Since this is true, we should never open our Bible merely as an academic exercise—to grow in knowledge only—or to prepare a sermon. The Bible is alive, and its author intends to renew our minds so that it transforms us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; 12:1-2). The Bible is the mind of God in written form; it is the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Ask yourself: Am I thoughtfully listening to God as I read the Living Word? Or am I rushing through it to meet a reading goal? As you read, ask: Am I listening to my heavenly Father? How does this Scripture draw me closer to my Savior?
We look into a wall mirror to make sure we are presentable. But, as much as we all would love a mirror that always makes us look good, mirrors don’t lie. They bring us good news and bad news. Scripture does the same thing. It reveals God’s amazing grace toward sinners while identifying what heart complications remain in us as God’s saints. Scripture is an honest, penetrating mirror reflecting the true condition of our soul. If we approach Scripture with a humble heart, it will be like an honest friend. It will tell it like it is. It will reveal our true selves and confront our pride, thus leading us to repentance and confession (James 1:22-24).
Ask yourself: Do I gaze into Scripture to see my heart? As you read, ask: What attitude change does the Holy Spirit want me to make? What blatant sins do I need to turn away from, or what subtle ones do I need to guard against? How do I need to be more like Christ?
Next time you open your Bible, remember you interact with the Spirit who breathed it out. You feast on truth for your own soul’s sake. Therefore, pray something like: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18), or “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts” (Psalm 139:23)! Then, as you close your time in the Word, pray, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
Discipline yourself to interact with God as you read Scripture, then respond in prayerful obedience and childlike faith. In time, you will find your soul filled with fresh words of wisdom to shepherd your flock joyfully.
[1] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1991), 210.
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By journaling, I don’t mean spending an hour a day recording all my thoughts about what God is teaching me. I mean jotting down simple observations from Scripture and how the Spirit may direct me to apply them.
Donald Whitney explains: “By slowing us down and prompting us to think more deeply about God, journaling helps us feel more deeply (and biblically) about God.” [1] This generates an expectation to hear the Spirit speak to me through the Word, meet my needs, and help engage my emotions. It encourages me to approach the Bible as more than an owner’s manual for life that I should master to help fix other people’s problems. Instead, it is a tool to aid intentional, attentive, and reflective Bible reading and meditation to nourish my soul. Here are four ways to approach the Bible and a few questions to stimulate your heart’s interaction with the Word of God and the God of the Word.
Approach the Bible as your soul food
Scripture is the soul-satisfying food we should delight in (Psalm 119:16, 77). As we treasure the Word of God, we gradually realize that our souls cannot thrive without it, and our resolve to stand firm in the face of temptation strengthens. When Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread selfishly to remedy His hunger, Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'” (Matthew 4:4).
Ask yourself: Am I feeding on God’s Word regularly, or would I be unhealthy or starving if my soul was my body? How would I describe my spiritual appetite? As you read, ask: How does this Scripture satisfy my deepest needs?
Approach the Bible as God’s self-disclosure
Through creation, God revealed His power and majesty for all to see (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:20). But it is only through the message of Scripture that we come to experience the transforming power of God’s redemptive grace in relationship with Him through Christ (Psalm 19:7-12; John 15:4-5). For our relationship with God to prosper, we need to grow in knowing Him better—His majesty, holiness, power, glory, mercy, love, and sovereignty (among others). Knowing God and how intimately acquainted He is with us stabilizes our souls. As the Holy Spirit uses Scripture to draw us closer to God, we become more accurate reflectors of His mercy and grace.
Approach the Bible as the Living Book
Scripture is alive. Therefore, the goal of our Bible reading should be to interact with God toward growth in our faith and godliness (Hebrews 4:12). As believers, we have the privilege of having the Author of Scripture, the Holy Spirit, living within us—helping us interpret and apply God’s truth (2 Corinthians 3:18). Since this is true, we should never open our Bible merely as an academic exercise—to grow in knowledge only—or to prepare a sermon. The Bible is alive, and its author intends to renew our minds so that it transforms us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; 12:1-2). The Bible is the mind of God in written form; it is the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Ask yourself: Am I thoughtfully listening to God as I read the Living Word? Or am I rushing through it to meet a reading goal? As you read, ask: Am I listening to my heavenly Father? How does this Scripture draw me closer to my Savior?
Approach the Bible as a mirror
We look into a wall mirror to make sure we are presentable. But, as much as we all would love a mirror that always makes us look good, mirrors don’t lie. They bring us good news and bad news. Scripture does the same thing. It reveals God’s amazing grace toward sinners while identifying what heart complications remain in us as God’s saints. Scripture is an honest, penetrating mirror reflecting the true condition of our soul. If we approach Scripture with a humble heart, it will be like an honest friend. It will tell it like it is. It will reveal our true selves and confront our pride, thus leading us to repentance and confession (James 1:22-24).
Ask yourself: Do I gaze into Scripture to see my heart? As you read, ask: What attitude change does the Holy Spirit want me to make? What blatant sins do I need to turn away from, or what subtle ones do I need to guard against? How do I need to be more like Christ?
Next time you open your Bible, remember you interact with the Spirit who breathed it out. You feast on truth for your own soul’s sake. Therefore, pray something like: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18), or “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts” (Psalm 139:23)! Then, as you close your time in the Word, pray, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
Discipline yourself to interact with God as you read Scripture, then respond in prayerful obedience and childlike faith. In time, you will find your soul filled with fresh words of wisdom to shepherd your flock joyfully.
[1] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1991), 210.
Related:
Pastors and the Spiritual Disciplines
Reading and Meditating on the Bible as Spiritual Disciplines for Pastors
The post Keeping Your Daily Devotions Fresh through Journaling appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...